“A Haunting in Venice” is based on an Agatha Christie mystery novel, but the theatrical film adaptation was marketed as a horror film, ignoring its best-selling author pedigree. What gives? It seems Walt Disney Studios decided that moviegoers are not moved by literary acclaim, but horror sells at the boxoffice. Christie, who died in 1976, did not get noticeably … [Read more...] about ‘Haunting in Venice’ Downplays Pedigree, Hypes Horror
branding
Ken Makes ‘Barbie’ Sizzle
“Barbie” walked a marketing tightrope with Job No. 1 being to satisfy the core girl audience of the toy line while at the same time pushing different messages to adult demographics. To go wider, the breezy Ken character delivered dry humor, a police mug-shot photo of the Barbie character showed her being busted (Ken too), and other out-of-character self-parody was introduced … [Read more...] about Ken Makes ‘Barbie’ Sizzle
Barbie Frenzy: Movie Dolls, Pink Pinch
Pre-release mania for the “Barbie” live-action movie continues as it heads for theatrical premiere July 21. Mattel toys just unveiled a raft of products tied to the movie based on its iconic doll of a blonde beach-loving girl. And the production has allegedly consumed so much pink paint for its movie sets that there’s word of a supply pinch for the Barbie character’s … [Read more...] about Barbie Frenzy: Movie Dolls, Pink Pinch
Netflix Markets Titles, Less the Brand
Netflix is shifting its marketing focus to individual titles instead of its brand, finding a general messaging of value and breadth-of-content is no longer compelling, according to a New York Times article. The video streaming industry leader, with 230 million subscribers worldwide, finds subscribers restless and prone to canceling to jump to emerging competition from … [Read more...] about Netflix Markets Titles, Less the Brand
Searching for Catchy Movie Titles
Getting a movie title right is of growing importance as the entertainment landscape gets cluttered by mushrooming digital media, says a Variety story by Rebecca Rubin. When research screenings audiences didn’t warm to “Something’s Wrong With Rose,” the Variety story says, Paramount Pictures renamed its 2022 horror film “Smile." The scare flick went on to generate $107 in … [Read more...] about Searching for Catchy Movie Titles
Unofficially Yours: Some Oscars Glow
It’s Academy Awards season, and a raft of consumer-goods companies that are outside the inner circle of official sponsors are angling to snag some Oscar glow. The outsiders making a splash in awards season glitz include a fabrics maker revealing winner colors and video streaming program guide Clix (see featured image) with its own rankings of actresses. Allianz Global … [Read more...] about Unofficially Yours: Some Oscars Glow
Burnout Worries for Marvel Cinema Universe
Boxoffice for the Marvel Cinema Universe (MCU) has been impressive over 15 years, but there are signs lately of declining audience enthusiasm and burnout for comic-book adaptations. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” opened with a sizeable $106.1 million in domestic (U.S. and Canada) boxoffice for the weekend of Feb. 17-19. Walt Disney Studios distributes the film … [Read more...] about Burnout Worries for Marvel Cinema Universe
Data-Hungry Theaters Eye Branded Credit Cards
In bankruptcies of airlines and other consumer-facing companies, sometimes their most valuable asset are their sideline credit card businesses. After some false starts in past years, exhibition is coming to recognize the value of leveraging such consumer financial relationships to build durable collateral businesses. AMC Entertainment announced its own Visa credit card this … [Read more...] about Data-Hungry Theaters Eye Branded Credit Cards
Agent 007 Anchors Pinball Machine
The James Bond spy-thriller property and its most famous Agent 007, Sean Connery, anchor a mechanical pinball machine in limited quantities. Chicago-based Stern Pinball launches its James Bond 007 series of hardware priced at three tiers for $6,999 to $12,999. “Stern’s James Bond 007 cornerstone pinball machine,” says a press release, “highlights film footage and iconic … [Read more...] about Agent 007 Anchors Pinball Machine
‘Barbie’ Film Toys With Long-Lead Publicity
The Barbie doll from the Mattel toy company needs little introduction, though surprisingly basked in a tsunami of publicity for a theatrical film that just wrapped production for Warner Bros. Pictures. That the "Barbie "movie generated a spate of publicity in recent weeks is perplexing because it’s not scheduled for theatrical premiere until July 21, 2023. An article in the … [Read more...] about ‘Barbie’ Film Toys With Long-Lead Publicity